James matthews



(N o Model.)

J. MATTHEWS.

PLATFORM.

Patentd Sept. 27, 1892. F 1

INVENTOH A TTORNEY WWZM ms PETERS cm, mom-umm, msmmmm a c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MATTHEWS, OF COLLINS CENTRE, NEW YORK.

PLATFORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,233, dated September 27, 1892.

Application filed May 25, 1892. Serial No. 434,339. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Collins Centre, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Coupler Safety Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for protecting trainmen or others when engaged in the act of coupling cars, and has for its object to provide a portable platform adapted to be temporarily attached to the end of a car and to support the trainman while coupling two cars together; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportion of abox-car with my safety device attached. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the safety device, on an enlarged scale, detached from the car, with the endgate removed. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end gate detached. Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the safety device attached to a platform-car.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure of the drawings.

A represents a closed box-car, to the end of which are secured a series of loops or staples a.

B represents the portable safety device, which consists of two metal bars bent to form the vertical standards 0, the horizontal supports 0, and the short vertical standards D. The standards 0 are connected to each other by two bars 12, whose ends are formed into loops or eyes f, and the standards D are connected to each other by guard-bars e, having loops or eyes f, similar to those of bars b, at their ends.

E represents a platform or floor supported on the horizontal supports 0, and G is an end or guard gate having the hooks g, one at each end corner, adapted to fitinto the eyes f on the ends of the harsh and e. This gate is adapted to be attached to either end of the rods 1) and coupling man may readily step onto the platform E within the protector. As shown, the upper ends of the standards 0 are bent to form hooks h, adapted to fit into the loops or staples a, which are attached to the ends of the car. Additional hooks i are preferably secured to the standards 0 and are adapted to fit into others of the loops (1.

Cross-bars dare firmly secured to the standards to add strength and security, and at the same time form steps to enable the trainman to mount to the top of the car. In this instance the device B forms a combined portable car-couplers protector and ladder.

When it is desired to place my safety attachment on a platform-car, as shown in Fig. 4, the standards 0 are made shorter and their upper ends are bent at a right angle therewith to form a horizontal portion K, which rests on the sill or platform of the car. Suit able holes I are made in the sill of the platform on each side of the coupling for the reception of bolts F, which are loosely passed through the right-angled portions K of the standards and the end of the car-platform to secure the safety device in position.

The advantages of my device are obvious, as a large per cent. of the serious and fatal accidents on railroads occur to the employs whose duty it is to couple the cars. By the use of my protector the trainmen engaged in this duty are shielded from the danger of being knocked down by the moving car which is being coupled to another car. They are also relieved from the danger of catching their feet in a frog in the track or of being otherwise tripped up and thereby thrown under the car.

The safety device may be made very light, as of wood and iron or small-sized iron, so that it can be easily handled, and as it is portable and detachable it is only necessary in the case of box-cars to attach the loops or staples a to the ends of the car, and in case of platform-cars to make the necessary holes for the reception of the bolts F, when one safety de-= Vice maybe moved from car to car, as desired, and be sufficient for the use of any one person engaged in the duty of coupling cars.

In attaching the safety device for coupling cars the platform is arranged to be elevated about ten inches above the track of the road and to be in convenient position so that the operator can stand upon it within the protecting-bars and easily reach the draw-head in the operation of performing his work.

Additional hooks or staples a are placed near the top of the car, so that when desired the protector device may be elevated or adjusted upward and serve as a ladder for mounting to the top of the car, and, when it is desired, be left in asafe position to be carried on the carin moving it from one point to another.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by ,Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with a car, of a portable safety-platform and suitable devices to detachably connect the platform to the car, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a car, of a portable safety-platform, an end-gate, suitable devices to detachably connect the gate to either end of the platform, and means to detachably connect the platform to the car, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a. car, of a. portable safety platform and ladder and suitable means to detachably connect the ladder and platform to the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

JOHN BEVERLY, HIRAM STAGE. 

